Device for controlling home automation equipment of a building

ABSTRACT

Device ( 60; 100 ) for controlling home automation equipment ( 1   a,    2   a,    2   b,    2   c,    3   a,    3   b,    4   a,    5   a ) of a building, comprising a display screen ( 101 ), in which the screen is assigned to the display of type icons (ITYP 1 , ITYP 2 , ITYP 3 , ITYP 4 , ITYP 5 ), a type icon representing a set of home automation equipment of one and the same type, the screen also being assigned to the display of location icons (ILOC 0 , ILOC 1 , ILOC 2 , ILOC 3 , ILOC 4 , ILOC 5 ), a location icon representing a set of home automation equipment installed in one and the same place in the building, which control device comprises a first selection or navigation means ( 103, 104, 105, 106 ) making it possible to position, in a reduced area ( 98 ) of the screen, either, a selected type icon or location icon, so as to display on the screen equipment icons ( 4, 5, 123, 123′, 125, 125′, 131, 131 ′) representative of the home automation equipment assigned to said selected type icon or location icon.

This application claims priority of French Patent Application Number 0806943 filed Dec. 10, 2008, the disclosure of which is incorporatedherein by reference.

The invention relates to a device for controlling home automationequipment in a building.

The home automation equipment items communicate with the control devicevia a wireless link for example provided by radiofrequencies. Suchequipment items comprise actuators for lighting, heating and airconditioning, natural or forced ventilation, intruder alarms, or evenclosing or solar protection actuators, manoeuvring moving panels orprojection screens, and associated driven products.

Numerous problems are linked to the control of such equipment items thatare often at least partly inaccessible and/or not visible, from acontrol device that is accessible to the user.

In particular, the number of equipment items often imposes grouping byequipment typology (blind actuators, lighting actuators, lockingactuators), to perform simultaneous commands, or transmit information tojust one type of equipment. However, other groupings are necessaryaccording to the location, for example: all ground floor rollershutters, all south-facing blinds, all equipment (regardless of type) inthe living room, etc.

The representation of the equipment items, of their location, of thecontrol commands, raises difficulties in ergonomics and comprehension,both in user mode and in installation mode, and numerous inventions havedescribed these problems and attempted to resolve them, notably usingdisplay screens with touch action and simplified icons.

Thus, the U.S. Pat. No. 5,410,326 describes a universal remote controlin which one and the same screen can be used to display iconsrepresentative of various actions and display messages.

The U.S. Pat. No. 6,791,467 also describes a universal remote control ofadaptive type capable of remotely recognizing the various equipmentitems in the home and displaying on a screen, for example a touchscreen, icons representative of such equipment items and their status(for example: “known but out of range”). This universal remote controlfunctionality is preferentially implemented in an existing product ofthe personal digital assistant (PDA) type. Pressing the touch screen onan icon makes it possible to activate a configuration file, resident inthe universal remote control and/or downloaded from the equipment and todisplay on the screen a representation of the equipment control panel.For the user, giving a command by pressing the image of a button on thecontrol panel then becomes similar to directly pressing on the actualbutton of the equipment. It is also possible to query the equipmentstatus from the universal remote control, or that a warning signal issent to the remote control when a particular event occurs in theequipment.

The U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,563,430 and 6,957,075 also described a personalappliance provided with icon and geolocation display means, the displayand the functionalities of the appliance depending on its location. Inthe first case, the location is very fine and the plan of the variousrooms in the home can be displayed on the screen. In the U.S. Pat. No.6,885,362 also the plan of a room with the location of the variousequipment items in a room of the home can be accessed on the screen,also with the possibility of showing the hierarchy of the rooms andfloors (or grouping of rooms) in the building. In all cases, equipmentitems can be activated by direct action on its representation in thetouch screen. These are representations and means that are still toocomplex.

Also known are very many means or methods for navigating in drop-downmenus or using an icon representation in order to select an action or anequipment item. These means are described in the above documents or evenin the U.S. Pat. No. 7,154,478 which provides for a general movement, ona screen, of a global image consisting of a plurality of partial images(equivalent to icons) according to movements undergone by the screen.Everything takes place as if the screen were a transparent window thatcan be displaced over this plurality of partial images so as to becentred on one of them. The partial images represent home automationequipment items of television, tape recorder, lighting and other types,that can be grouped together, in the form of lists in menus, dependingon their location or depending on their function or depending on thefrequency of use. A setting screen makes it possible to freely assign aname to the equipment.

In the industrial domain, it is known from US patent application2006/0069459 to display an installation with icons of “parent” type andicons of “child” type, graphics that can be modified dynamicallydepending on the status of the installation.

For multimedia applications, also known from the US patent application2008/0141172 is the use of icons in the form of an animated image.

The U.S. Pat. No. 7,379,778 describes a typical installationconfiguration comprising numerous equipment items in a home, primarilyof multimedia type but also heating or lighting, and numerous controlmeans and methods according to various protocols and using genericcommands.

One or more centralized control devices are used, these devices possiblybeing servers, control modules called “pods”, or other, characterized bythe use of installation facilities permitted by the “universal plug andplay” (UPnP) standard. As described, the installation uses personalcomputer or Internet resources as local or remote servers. Themanagement of scenarios or “snapshots” is also described in thisdocument.

The patent application WO 2006/092695 describes a control interface fora home automation installation, notably by means of a screen segmentedinto cells in a matrix fashion. A cell can be assigned by the user or bythe installer to a single equipment item, to a group of equipment itemsor even to a particular command, or finally to a scenario. A simplegraphic symbol (square, circle, disc, and triangle) can be displayed ineach cell to describe its assignment to a particular type of equipmentor command or to describe, for example, the status of the equipment: awhite square for open blinds or lamps that are lit, a black square forclosed roller shutters or lamps that are off. Alternatively, differentcolours can be used to indicate status or possibly emphasize storage byusing colour codes for different types of commands (equipment itemalone, group, scenario) or different spaces in the home (lounge,bedroom, garden). A cursor can be moved on the screen by means of anavigation means, making it possible to select a cell and display a namegiven to the cell in an auxiliary area of the screen.

Also known from the patent WO 03/007265 and its patent EP 1 527 377 isto facilitate an installation phase requiring the correlation of aphysical equipment item with its identifier used in the communicationprotocol. These procedures remain complex.

Despite the advances made by the devices of the prior art, it is stillnot very easy for a user, even one familiar with computer techniques, toget to grip simply, intuitively and above all progressively theenvironment that is extremely rich in possibilities for automation ofhome equipment.

The user of the devices of the prior art has the option to name theequipment as he wants, but he is unable to assign them simply andunderstandably, without the slightest abstraction or prioritizationeffort, to rooms or subsets of the home that are perfectly identifiableat first glance, and do so only when there is a need to do so.

The aim of the invention is to provide a control device that remediesthe above drawbacks and improves the methods and devices known from theprior art. In particular, the invention makes it possible to facilitateand make more intuitive the use of a device for controlling a number ofhome automation elements.

According to the invention, the device for controlling home automationequipment of a building comprises a display screen, in which a firstportion of the screen is assigned to the display of type icons, a typeicon representing a set of home automation equipment of one and the sametype, this first portion also being assigned to the display of locationicons, a location icon representing a set of home automation equipmentinstalled in one and the same place in the building such as a room or agroup of rooms. It is characterized in that the control device comprisesa first selection or navigation means making it possible to position, ina reduced area of the screen, either a selected type icon or a selectedlocation icon, so as to display in a second portion of the screenequipment icons representative of the home automation equipment assignedto said selected type icon or location icon.

The display screen can be a control screen, for example of touch type,the first navigation means being able to recognize a movement of thefinger and the first selection means being able to recognize a contactby the finger.

The icons can be arranged on the screen along an open line such as, forexample, a segment or an arc of a circle.

The icons can be arranged on the screen by spatially grouping the typeicons and by spatially grouping the location icons.

A default location icon can separate the type icons from the otherlocation icons.

Either all the equipment items can be assigned to the default locationicon, or only the equipment items not assigned to another location iconcan be assigned to the default location icon.

An action on the first navigation means or an action on the firstselection means can result in the movement of a set of icons, inparticular a movement of the set of type and location icons.

An action on the navigation means or an action on the first selectionmeans can result in the displacement of a selection index and/or thedisplacement of the reduced area.

An action on the navigation means or an action on the first selectionmeans can result in an appearance and/or a disappearance of an icon.

The second screen portion can comprise a second navigation means and asecond selection means acting on the equipment icons.

The selection of an equipment icon can result in the opening of acontrol window for that equipment item.

An equipment icon can be representative of the status of the equipment.

The device can comprise means for sending a request addressed to theequipment for the equipment to reply with information on their statusand means for detecting the transmission of control commands or controlcommand execution information, means for sending a request beingactivated early when the detection means detects a transmission of acontrol command or of control command execution information.

The control device may comprise a means of automatic assignment of anequipment item to an equipment type.

According to another aspect of the invention, the device for controllinghome automation equipment of a building comprises a display screen, inwhich a first portion of the screen is assigned to the display of typeicons, a type icon representing a set of home automation equipment ofone and the same type. It is characterized in that it comprises meansfor automatically creating and displaying new type icons as newequipment belonging to a new type is recognized in the installation.

The control device comprises hardware and software means that make itpossible to govern its operation in accordance with the method ofoperation that is the subject of the invention. In particular, itcomprises hardware and/or software means for successively displaying, ina given area of the screen, a portion of type icon then of a portion oflocation icon or a portion of location icon then a portion of type icon.The control device can notably comprise a computer program code meanssuitable for producing steps of the operating method according to theinvention, when the program runs on a computer, such as amicrocontroller of the control device.

The invention will be better understood on reading the description thatfollows, given only by way of example and with reference to the appendeddrawings in which:

FIG. 1 represents an installation according to the invention.

FIG. 2 represents a portion of a control screen.

FIG. 3 represents an equipment type icon, also called type icon.

FIG. 4 represents an equipment icon, for a first equipment item.

FIG. 5 represents an equipment icon, for a second equipment item.

FIG. 6 represents a control window.

FIG. 7 represents a discovery method and an alternative of this method.

FIG. 8 represents a scenario setting method.

FIG. 9 represents a scanning method making it possible to update and/orselect equipment icons.

FIG. 1 represents a home automation installation 1 comprising severalequipment items of five different types.

The equipment items comprise actuators and home automation products onwhich the actuators act to displace them or activate them. The actuatorscomprise means of receiving commands by hertzian channel, represented byan antenna. Alternatively, the commands can be transmitted by othercommunication means, such as powerline communication or infrared-typelinks.

The first equipment item 1 a, of a first type TYP1, is, for example, anactuator 11 driving a terrace awning 12. They can be controlled by afirst specific control means 10.

The second equipment items 2 a, 2 b, 2 c, of a second type TYP2, are,for example, actuators for roller shutters 21, 23 and 25 respectivelydriving the shutters 22, 24 and 26. They can be controlled respectivelyby keys 20 a, 20 b and 20 c of a second specific control means 20.

The third equipment items 3 a and 3 b, of a third type TYP3, are, forexample, actuators for venetian blinds respectively driving the venetianblinds 32 and 34. They can be controlled respectively by third specificcontrol means 30 a and 30 b.

The fourth equipment item 4 a, of a fourth type TYP4, is, for example,an intrusion alarm unit 41 connected to a siren 42. It can be controlledby a fourth specific control means 40.

The fifth equipment item 5 a, of a fifth type TYP5, is, for example, agate actuator 51, connected to a gate 52. It can be controlled by afifth specific control means 50.

Other types of equipment items are present in such an installation butnot represented by way of examples: gate opener, actuators for locking,natural ventilation, lighting, heating and air conditioning, and thelike. A short dotted line referenced TYP2 represents all the equipmentof the second type, TYP3 for all the equipment of the third type andTYP5 for equipment of the fifth type. To simplify the figure, thisrepresentation has not been applied to the type 1 and type 4 equipment.

The installation 1 also comprises a portable remote control device 60such as a personal digital assistant (PDA) and a fixed control device100 such as a wall panel. All the equipments, the remote control device,the fixed control device, intercommunicate by the use of one and thesame radiofrequency protocol, for example the io-homecontrol (registeredtrade mark) protocol. An antenna symbol represents this commoncommunication means. Alternatively, several protocols can be used, withcommunication gateways or with devices supporting a number of protocols.

The fixed control device is connected to a communication module 200 by afirst high speed link 210. This first high speed link is of wired type,for example of Ethernet type, or of radiofrequency type, for exampleWi-Fi. The communication module is connected to the world outside theinstallation 1, and in particular to an Internet server 400, by a secondhigh speed link 220.

A personal computer 300 or a television can be connected to the first orsecond high speed link.

The fixed control device comprises a control screen 101, preferablycomprising a touch control panel, and an electronic unit 99 controllingthe screen, comprising other human-machine interface means such ascontrol keyboard, buzzer, loudspeaker, lamps and processing means forthe control of the equipment and radiocommunication, as described in theprior art.

The installation as described so far is similar to the installations ofthe prior art. It is likely to include alternatives described in theprior art. For example the screen 101 can be physically separate from acontrol module (then called “pod”) that would contain all or part of theelectronic unit 99. The control screen can be replaced by that of thepersonal computer 300, or else by that of the personal digital assistant60. The computer resources used to operate the control module arepreferably installed in the latter, but it is also possible todistribute them in whole or in part in the personal computer or in thepersonal digital assistant or else in the Internet server 400, notablywhen it concerns databases relating to the configuration of theinstallation.

FIG. 1 shows equipment groupings corresponding to the equipmentlocations (real location or as imagined or as required by the user)inside the home or its surroundings.

A first set, designated LOC1, combines the roller shutter actuators 23and 25 and the venetian blind actuator 31, installed in a firstlocation. This grouping corresponds to products installed in the livingroom.

A second set, designated LOC2, combines the single gate actuator locatedin a second location. This grouping corresponds to products installed inthe garden. The user could advantageously have included the terraceawning in this garden location, but there is no obligation to do so.

Other groupings have been set up by the user, without being reported onthe figure so as not to overload it. For example, the set LOC3corresponds to the ground floor actuators, whereas the set LOC4corresponds to the first floor actuators.

By convention, a general set LOC0 combines all the equipment items inthe home, whether or not they have been assigned to more precisegroupings. Alternatively, this general set LOC0 combines all theequipment items in the home not yet assigned to more precise groupings.

According to the invention, there is a location item ILOC for eachlocation. Thus, a general icon ILOC0 corresponds to the general set, andrepresents, for example, a home. This is the default location icon. Anicon ILOC1 corresponds to the first set, the living room equipment, andis symbolized using a sofa and table to evoke a living room. An iconILOC2 corresponds to the second set, symbolized using a tree or a flowerto designate the equipment in the garden. An icon ILOC3 corresponds tothe third set, the ground floor equipment, and is symbolized by a homedrawn in fine lines but with the ground floor drawn in bold lines. Anicon ILOC4 corresponds to the fourth set, the first floor equipment, andis symbolized by a home drawn in fine lines but with the first floordrawn in bold lines. An alphanumeric text specifies the meaning of theicon, for example “living room” for the first location icon. As will beseen below, the user is free to choose, in a location icon database,those of his choice, and give them the name of his choice.

According to the invention, there is a generic icon or type icon, foreach equipment type, in other words to represent a set of equipmentcomprising one and the same type of actuator and/or one and the sametype of associated product. This icon is predefined. In a priordiscovery procedure, each equipment item has directly communicated itstype to the fixed control device 100, or to another device capable ofthen transmitting the information to the control device 100. The type ofthe equipment is, for example, contained in the equipment nameoriginally assigned by the manufacturer of the actuator included in theequipment, for example “RS” or “roller shutter” for a roller shutteractuator, “lock” for a door lock actuator. The equipment also transmitsits type icon, or the latter is preferentially predefined within thefixed control device 100, or else downloaded from the Internet server400.

A type icon according to the invention is not a graphic representationof the home automation equipment in the form of an actuator but aschematic graphic representation of the product that can be activated bythe actuator. Preferably, the icon is a graphic representation of theproduct in a determined status. For example, in the case of a mobileproduct that can be displaced by the actuator, the icon is a graphicrepresentation of the mobile product in an intermediate position betweentwo extreme positions, notably a middle position.

There is thus a first type icon ITYP1 to represent the actuatorequipment for terrace awnings. This icon schematically represents aterrace awning, half deployed.

There is also a second type icon ITYP2 to represent the actuatorequipment for roller shutters. This second type icon schematicallyrepresents a roller shutter in a half-open position.

There is also a third type icon ITYP3 to represent the actuatorequipment for venetian blinds, that is to say blinds with horizontalslats.

There is also a fourth type icon ITYP4 to represent the alarm equipment.In this case, the type icon can represent a siren.

There is finally a fifth type icon ITYP5 to represent the gatemotorization home automation equipment. This fifth type iconschematically represents, for example, a gate with two half-open leaves.

There are therefore equipment type icons and location icons. It will beseen later that there is finally, for each equipment item, an equipmenticon, representative both of its type and of its status.

Preferentially, an installer has the option to modify the automaticassignment of an equipment item to an equipment type. For example, atubular actuator normally provided to operate a roller shutter may havebeen installed by the installer on another product of windable type, forexample on a window blind of screen type or on a mosquito screen. Aspecific menu enables the installer to correct erroneous or impreciseautomatic assignments, by choosing a type icon far better suited to themobile product concerned.

Preferentially, the type icons have one and the same colour for productsthat have a similar primary function: violet for all closure products,green for solar protection products, yellow for all lighting products,red for all alarm products, etc.

Conversely, all the location icons have one and the same colour, forexample sky blue.

There will therefore be several violet coloured type icons, becausethere are several types of closure products (swinging shutter type,roller shutter type, gate type, garage door type, lock type, etc.),several yellow coloured type icons because there are several types oflighting products (spot type, luminaire type, indirect type, etc.).

Preferably, for each main function a generic function icon is added tothe type icons. The generic function icon looks like a type or locationicon but without graphics. For example, it simply comprises a rectangle(or another simple figure) filled with the colour selected to expressthe function. Thus, the “closure” generic function icon represents allthe closure products, regardless of their type, in the form of a violetcoloured rectangle.

FIG. 2 represents, at least partly, the control screen 101. A firstscreen portion 102 shows, or can show, in a display and navigationformat 110, all the type icons ITYP and all the location icons ILOC.

The display and navigation format is preferentially a known formatdisplaying image folders or displaying multimedia icons, for example theApple Cover-Flow format (registered trade marks), as described in FIG.24 and subsequent in the patent application WO 2008/019113.

This type of format lends itself to display and navigation within a verylarge number of icons, by reducing the size and/or light intensity ofthe icons furthest away from a selection area.

A navigation means 103 makes it possible to displace all the icons on anopen curve, such as, for example, a horizontal segment or an arc of acircle, with icons disappearing or appearing at each edge of the screendepending on the direction of the action of the user on the navigationmeans. An active icon 111 appears, for example, highlighted and/or withdimensions greater than all the other icons and/or in the foregroundand/or in the horizontal centre of the screen serving as a selectionindex 104, not necessarily visible. For example, the first location iconILOC1 is the active icon 111. A displacement of all the icons to theright, using the navigation means 103, successively causes the iconsILOC2, ILOC4 and ILOC3 to become the active icon, in the positionoccupied by the icon ILOC1 in FIG. 2. When the icon ILOC3 occupies thisposition, the icon ITYP2 disappears temporarily, for lack of space.

Alternatively, it is the selection index 104 that is displaced under theaction of the navigation means, resulting in the highlighting of the newactive icon. The two displacement modes can also be combined so as toselect the active icon.

Alternatively, the navigation means 103 consists of a direct action onthe touch screen, a finger pressure on one of the icons and a horizontaldisplacement of the latter leading to the displacement of all the iconsand/or the displacement of the selection index. The navigation means canalso comprise an accelerometer linked to a module containing the screen,the displacement of the icons resulting from a displacement of themodule.

FIG. 2 shows a reduced area 98 of the screen used wholly to display anicon. The icon or portion of icon represented in this area may be,depending on the status of operation of the control device, either atype icon or a portion of type icon, or a location icon or a portion oflocation icon. Thus, there is at least one phase of operation of thecontrol device in which there is, in this area, a transition from adisplay of a portion of type icon to a display of a portion of locationicon or a transition from a display of a portion of location icon to adisplay of a portion of type icon. The phase of operation mentionedtakes place in a routine mode of use of the control device or controlmode.

The reduced area 98 can have a fixed position (for example centred onthe screen) or can have a mobile position, for example linked to theselection index 104.

The text associated with the selected or active icon appears under theactive icon in a text area 105. Preferentially, only the text associatedwith the active icon is thus displayed, thus constituting the name ofthe icon.

A scrollbar with cursor 106 makes it possible to display, in theposition of the active icon, the width of the cursor representing, forexample, the inverse ratio of the number of icons presently displayedand of the total number of icons in the installation.

The cursor 106 can be used not only as display means but also asnavigation means, all of the type icons and location icons beingdisplaced to the right or to the left depending on the displacement ofthe cursor.

Another selection means can be used, for example a pointer such as afirst selection arrow 105 that can be displaced with a thumbwheel ormouse connected to the screen. Thus, an icon can be selected by actionon this pointer (or else by direct finger action) even if it does notoccupy the position of the active icon. However, immediately after aselection action, the selected icon is automatically displaced to occupya predetermined active icon position, for example in the centre of thescreen and/or the selected icon is highlighted and/or the selected iconis placed in the foreground and/or the dimensions of the selected iconare modified.

According to the invention, all the type icons and all the locationicons can be displayed in the first screen portion 102, one and the samenavigation and/or selection means being used to activate either a typeicon or a location icon.

The type icons are created on the screen as new actuators belonging to anew type are recognized in the installation. This so-called discoveryprocess takes place automatically, as described in the prior art, by theinterrogation of the equipment that is present and responses from allthose that are within range.

In each process of discovering new equipment in the installation, theassociated type icon appears automatically in the first screen portion102, unless other equipment of the same type are already known to thecontrol device, in which case the type icon already exists in the firstscreen portion and the new equipment item is automatically assigned tothis type icon.

The type icon is sought by the control device in a database that isinternal or external to the control device, based on type informationtransmitted by the new equipment. Alternatively, the type icon istransmitted by the new equipment itself.

The type icons are grouped together on the same side of the first screenportion, and preferentially appear in the order of appearance of eachnew type icon, following the discovery of a new equipment type.Alternatively, this classification can be modified.

The location icons are created on the screen as equipment items areassigned to a new location. The location icons are chosen by theinstaller or the user from a location icons computer database.

The general location icon ILOC0, or default location icon, is the onlyone to appear in the first window until the user has created moreprecise local groupings and chosen the associated location icons.Thereafter, the location icons appear alongside location icons that havealready been created, in the order of creation, or alternatively in amodifiable order.

In FIG. 2, it has been assumed that all the groupings of FIG. 1 havebeen learned by the control system, or made by the installer, in alearning method as described below.

A second screen portion 107 automatically shows all the equipment iconsassociated with the selected type icon or location icon. An equipmenticon, as detailed in FIGS. 4 and 5, is a representation both of theequipment type and of the status of an equipment item. Since the firstlocation icon ILOC1 (living room) is active, the equipment assigned tothis icon by the user appears in the form of equipment icons, namely tworoller shutters 23 and 25, therefore two roller shutter equipment icons123 and 125, and a venetian blind 31, therefore a venetian blindequipment icon 131.

In other words, a type or location icon corresponds to a computerdirectory or folder gathering a number of equipment icons. The firstportion of the screen corresponds to a navigation or browsing window.The second portion of the screen corresponds to a window detailing thecontent of the directory corresponding to the selected type or locationicon. It should be noted that an equipment icon can be associated with atype icon and with one or more location icons. An equipment icon can beconsidered as a pointer to a computer database containing thecharacteristics associated with an equipment item.

The text associated with each equipment icon, constituting the equipmentname, appears in the second screen portion 107 below each icon,respectively in the text windows 123′, 125′ and 131′.

Under the second screen portion there is a control area 108, enablingthe user to give commands to the selected equipment item, and a statusarea 109 providing the simplified display of information concerning thestatus of the selected equipment item. For example, a pictogramindicates in the status area that a command is currently being executedby the equipment.

The control area and/or the status area can also relate to the overalloperation of the control device.

A second display and navigation format 120, possibly simpler than thefirst format, is used: for example, the equipment icons appearing on oneand the same horizontal level. A second selection means, of manual type,consists of a pointer such as a mobile selection arrow 150. A secondnavigation means 151 can be used to scroll the equipment icons if thereare too many of them for all to be included in the second screenportion.

Alternatively, a horizontal movement of the finger over the secondscreen portion drags all the icons together if required, whereas asimple tap on an equipment icon selects the corresponding equipmentitem.

In FIG. 2, the equipment icon 123 corresponding to the second rollershutter has been selected by the user and appears highlighted relativeto the icons 121 and 135.

The act of selecting an equipment icon opens a window for editingcharacteristics of the equipment and/or makes it possible to open acontrol window relating to this equipment item and/or makes it possibleto select the equipment item to be involved in a scenario, for exampleby dragging the equipment icon into a scenario grouping window.

FIG. 3 represents a third type icon according to the invention,representing the set of equipment of “actuators for venetian blinds”type (blinds with horizontal slats).

As described previously, a type icon is a schematic graphicrepresentation not of the actuator itself but of the generic productactivated by this actuator. In the case of a mobile product, a type iconis a schematic graphic representation of the mobile product activated bythis actuator, preferentially in a middle position 301 of orientation ordeployment.

The slats are represented by strips whose colour stands out from thebackground colour.

FIG. 4 represents an equipment icon 4 according to the invention, for afirst equipment item 3 a comprising an actuator for a venetian blind. Itis, for example, the actuator 31 of FIG. 1. Once again, it is the mobileproduct that is symbolized and therefore the first venetian blind 32.

An equipment icon looks like a type icon but with one essentialdifference, at least for the equipment associated with mobile productssuch as closure or solar protection products. In practice, at least forthese mobile products, each equipment icon approximately represents thedegree of orientation or of deployment of such products.

Unlike a type icon, common to all the equipment of the same type andtherefore fixed, an equipment icon is dynamic and thereforeschematically represents:

-   -   the degree of deployment of the first venetian blind, for        example by the position of a bottom blind slat 401 relative to        the icon,    -   the degree of orientation of the first venetian blind, for        example by the orientation of an arrow 402 and/or by the        proportion of the area of the surfaces of the strips        representing the slats versus the area of the surfaces between        the strips.

In the case of a venetian blind, a distinction is made between thedegree of deployment, linked to the number of slats deployed over thewindow, and the degree of orientation, the latter being linked to theinclination of the slats relative to the horizontal and beingrepresented in FIG. 4 by a pictogram comprising a variable inclinationarrow.

FIG. 5 represents an equipment icon 5 according to the invention, for asecond equipment item 3 b comprising an actuator for venetian blind. Itis, for example, the actuator 33 of FIG. 1, representing the secondvenetian blind 34 whose degree of deployment 501 is less than the firstvenetian blind and whose degree of orientation 502 is greater (the slatsbeing closer to horizontal). Alternatively, FIG. 5 could represent thesame equipment as FIG. 4, but in a new position of the mobile product.

In FIGS. 4 and 5, degrees of orientation of the slats have beenrepresented by different orientations of arrows 402 and 502 and bydifferent proportions of the areas of the surfaces of the stripsrepresenting the slats versus the areas of the surfaces between thestrips.

For a sliding gate provided with an access door, it would be possible inthe same way to represent the degree of horizontal deployment of thegate and the degree of opening of the door. Other representation arealso possible without involving a pictogram but by more finelyrepresenting the mobile product and its degrees of freedom. For example,the greater or lesser inclination of the slats can be schematicallyrepresented by a slat thickness that is small when the slat ishorizontal and great when it is close to the vertical.

For other product types, for example a simple roller shutter, the degreeof deployment is sufficient, and an equipment icon then schematicallyrepresents the apron of the roller shutter, more or less unwound.

When the user selects an equipment icon, a control window for saidequipment is then opened, as represented by the control window 6 of FIG.6. For example, the control window 6 appears on the screen by selectingthe equipment icon 4, by pressing the finger on this equipment icon.

Preferentially, this control window then temporarily covers a portion ofthe screen, in the form of an overlaid window, called “pop-up”, unlessthis screen is big enough to be able to permanently assign an area ofthe screen to the display of the control windows. Alternatively, thecontrol window simply replaces the first portion and/or the secondportion of the screen.

The control window schematically represents the mobile product, possiblyin a second graphic representation different from the first graphicrepresentation used in the equipment icon.

A venetian blind representation 600 appears, this time in cross section,with a button for setting the degree of deployment 601 and a button forsetting the degree of orientation 602. Each setting button has, forexample, the form of an arrow or a double arrow. These setting buttonsconstitute means of transforming or modifying the appearance of therepresentation of the mobile product.

If the user places his finger on the setting button 601 and drags hisfinger downward, then the image 600 is modified so as to show a greaterdeployment (the appearance of new slats), and vice versa in the case ofan upward movement of the finger. If the user places his finger on thesetting button 602 and drags it upward or downward, this has the effectof modifying, in the image 600, the inclination of the slats towards thehorizontal or towards the vertical.

Preferentially, the deployment or orientation setting end stops 606 areindicated, as is a graduation, and a numerical display of the percentageor other value representing the degree of orientation and the degree ofdeployment, for example: “angle=45°” and “deployment=80%”.

When the user has modified the degree of orientation and/or the degreeof employment as required, he acts on a first control button 603, whichcauses a control command to be sent only to the selected equipment item,or on a second control button 604 which causes a control command to besent to all the equipment items of the same type and same location asthe selected equipment item, or on a third control button 605 whichcauses a control command to be sent to all the equipment of the sametype as the selected equipment item, regardless of location. In allcases, the control command is such that it contains the necessarycommands for the equipment to assume the degree of deployment and/ororientation displayed by the control window.

Preferentially, the control window is closed automatically upon actionon a control button or upon the execution of the control command.

The equipment icon is automatically updated by graphic adjustment whenthe control command is executed. If the command is applied to a numberof equipment items, the update affects all the equipment icons for theseequipment items.

An indicator, for example a dynamic indicator animated by blinking, orby rotation, indicates that a command is currently being transmittedand/or currently being executed and/or that the second representation ofthe equipment or the icon is not yet updated, that is to sayrepresentative of the current status of the equipment.

Thanks to the method of operation according to the invention, and inparticular thanks to the mode of execution of the method that has justbeen described, an icon representing a home automation equipment item isrepresentative of its status and notably of an intermediate statusbetween two extreme status. It is in practice important for an equipmenticon to be representative of the equipment itself and not of a controlpanel for said equipment. This is particularly true when the equipmentitem is a motorized closure or solar protection product in a building: agarage door or gate, terrace awning, venetian type blind, roller shutteractuator. In this case, it is the final product that must be representedon the equipment icon and the action on the equipment icon must cause amodification to it similar to that of the final product, serving as thesetpoint and serving to transmit a command to the equipment. It is thuspossible at first glance to have a view, at least approximate, of thestatus of orientation and/or of total or partial deployment of a numberof motorized closure or solar protection products, simply by selecting atype icon or a location icon.

FIG. 7 represents a mode of executing a learning method of a controldevice according to the invention that has a discovery mode.

In a first step 701, a discovery mode is selected, by action on the partof the user on the control device, for example a specific press on thecontrol area 108. In the discovery mode, the control device broadcasts aspecific discovery signal to all the equipment items. The equipmentitems then switch to discovery mode and the control device awaits thereceipt of information.

In a second step 702, the installer acts on a control means specific toan equipment item, for example the specific control means 20 c for theactuator 25 contained in the equipment item 2 c. This second step caninclude the preliminary display of a message prompting the installer toact on an equipment item of his choice.

Following this action, the equipment reacts with a sensitive signalintended for the installer, for example a brief to and fro movement, andabove all sends, in a third step 703, a message to the control device toinform it that it has just been activated. This message contains anidentifier of the equipment item.

On receiving this identifier, the control device automatically searchesfor and selects the corresponding equipment icon, that is to say theequipment icon 125 and the equipment name 125′ corresponding to theactuator 25.

If it is a first pairing, the equipment icon may be replaced by the typeicon, because the equipment is not necessarily able to transmitinformation on the degree of orientation and/or the degree ofdeployment.

On a first pairing step, the text window 125′ associated with theequipment icon 125 contains an original text, for example “rollershutter # 286945”. This text, for example set by the manufacturer of theactuator, can immediately be modified by the installer (or the user) whoknows unambiguously which product he has just activated using thecontrol means. The text window is therefore updated, for example “rollershutter, west living room”, using specific controls in the control area108, making it possible for example to open an input window in the formof an alphanumeric keyboard.

Thus, the equipment becomes perfectly identified.

If it is a first pairing, the equipment is assigned only to the generallocation icon ILOC0, which automatically becomes selected. However, ifthe same operation is performed when an assignment of the equipment to alocation icon has already been done, then it is this location icon thatis automatically selected, for example the “living room” icon ILOC1 inthe case of the equipment item 25.

From any initial configuration, and following the switch to discoverymode and the activation of the control means 26, the screen then appearsin the configuration of FIG. 2 with the equipment icon 125 and thelocation icon ILOC1 automatically selected.

If the equipment is assigned to a number of location icons, an indicatorinforms the user of this in the status area 109. Simply activatingcontrol area 108 allows switching from a first location icon comprisingthe equipment item to a second location icon comprising the equipmentitem, so as to see or eventually to modify the assignation.

The link between equipment icon and actual equipment item is thereforevery easy to establish by using this method. This method replaces orcomplements effectively the methods known from the prior art.

Thanks to the inventive method, and in particular thanks to the mode ofexecution of the method that has just been described, a direct action onthe equipment (or on a specific control means associated with thelatter) enables it to be immediately identified on a display screen, atleast in terms of equipment type and possibly in terms of location,either also being modifiable if necessary.

FIG. 7 shows, in its right hand part, an alternative of the method,replacing the fifth step 705.

This alternative deals with the assignment of a location to theequipment whose equipment icon has just been activated in the fourthstep 704.

In a first alternative step 715, the installer selects a location iconfrom the set of location icons, while the equipment icon is active, oralternatively, the installer drags the equipment icon towards a locationicon until it meets the latter.

In a second alternative step 716, one or other of the precedingoperations results in the equipment being assigned to the groupingrepresented by the location icon.

A new name for the equipment icon is then automatically generated,according to an equipment name format, incorporating all or part of thename of the location icon, and a serial number.

For example, in the step 704, the selected equipment item is representedby an icon bearing the name “roller shutter # 286945”.

In the first alternative step 715, the installer or the user drags theequipment icon over the “living room” location icon ILOC1. Immediately,the name of the equipment icon becomes “living room roller shutter 2”,the name of the location icon and a serial number replacing themanufacturer reference or the original specific code of the equipmenticon. If the equipment is the only equipment item of the same type inthe grouping, then the serial number does not appear in the name. Thisnumber automatically becomes 1 as soon as a second equipment item of thesame type appears which then takes the number 2, and so on. If theshutter has been previously renamed by the user “roller shutter west”for example, this step makes it possible to automatically modify thisname by the addition of the name of the location item. The name of theequipment icon becomes “roller shutter west living room”.

In a third alternative step 717, the user or the installer can modifythe name automatically assigned in the preceding step.

An equipment item whose name has been modified in a groupingautomatically has this name modified in the higher level groupings. Forexample, the preceding equipment is also called “living room rollershutter 2” when it is displayed from the default location icon ILOC0 orwhen it is displayed from the type icon ITYP2, “roller shutter”.

This alternative can also be applied even when the selection of theequipment icon is made without using the steps 701 to 704 of the method,for example when the equipment icon is selected using the secondselection means 150 or when another discovery method is used.

FIG. 8 represents a mode of execution of a method of operation of a homeautomation system according to the invention offering a mode for settingor configuring a scenario.

In a first step 801, a scenario setting mode is selected, for examplefollowing a specific manipulation of the control area 108. A windowgrouping together the equipment in the scenario is then opened. As inthe preceding cases, this window appears in overlay mode, or in a screenportion specially assigned for this use.

In a second step 802, the user selects on the screen the equipmentinvolved in the scenario: each time an equipment item is selected, itsequipment icon is duplicated in the grouping window.

In a third step 803, the user opens the control window for an equipmentitem of the scenario and proceeds to set degrees of orientation and/orof deployment using control buttons, as explained above. The setting isthe desired setting on a subsequent execution of the scenario. It may,however, be directly applied to the equipment item, for example byacting on the first control button 603.

In addition or alternatively, in a third step 804, the user uses thespecific control means of the equipment item to finely adjust itssetting.

The third and/or fourth steps are repeated for the various equipmentitems in the scenario, then, in a fifth step 805, the scenario isstored, that is to say all the setting parameters are memorized to betransmitted as setpoints on a subsequent execution of the scenario.

Thus, the control device makes it possible to combine, systematically orwhenever necessary, both a virtual setting of the equipment item (bymodifying the appearance of an icon or of a representation of theequipment) and an actual setting of the latter. The user does not haveto choose between a scenario setting mode in which all the equipmentitems are virtually adjusted and a setting mode in which all theequipment items are actually adjusted. After these adjustments, a stepof storing the status of the equipment takes place. This step is like a“snapshot” of the status of the equipment.

Even in the case where the virtual setting using the touch screen leadsto the transmission of a command, executed by the equipment item, duringthe setting phase, it is obvious that the local control of the equipmentmakes it possible to adjust the setting more finely.

To completely master the scenario setting steps, the user can becompelled to act on an element of the control area 108, for example afine setting button, to place the control system in a status awaitingnew information concerning the actual status of the equipment itemselected in the scenario window.

However, a scanning method, the subject of the invention and whoseembodiment is described in FIG. 9, makes it possible to do away withthis constraint.

This scanning method is advantageously combined with the operatingmethod and/or the learning method of the invention to ensure that anequipment item is selected rapidly or is at best representative of theactual status of an equipment item.

In a first step 901, the control device 100 is set to permanently listenfor communication traffic over the home automation network and it may ormay not detect the presence of communication traffic over the homeautomation network. This is, for example, a step for detection of thetransmission of control commands or control command executioninformation.

In the absence of any signal, a second step 902 is selected, in whichthe scanning is performed with a first frequency F1.

This means that, at regular intervals (F1 times per unit of time), thecontrol device individually interrogates each actuator to ascertain itscurrent status. Knowing the current status, the control device updatesthe graphic representations of the equipment items, notably theequipment icons. The interrogation takes place in the form of asuccession of individual requests or in the form of a collectiverequest. In this step 902, there is therefore a request addressed to theactuators for the actuators to reply with information on their status.

In the presence of a signal, a third step 903 is selected, in which thescanning is performed early, for example immediately. Thus, the updateis almost immediate, but only when it is required. The early scan can begeneral, that is to say affect all the equipment of the network or beselective, that is to say affect only the equipment involved in thecommunication traffic over the network. In this step 903, there is arequest addressed to the actuators for the actuators to reply withinformation on their status.

In a fourth step 904, there is, depending on the cases, an update of allthe graphic representations of equipment items by modification of theirappearances according to the new status or an update of certain graphicrepresentations of equipment items by modification of their appearancesaccording to new status. Complementarily or alternatively, there is aselection of one or more particular equipment icons corresponding to oneor more equipment items whose position has just been modified.

The signal used to steer the method towards the second step 902 or thethird step 903 is preferentially discriminated so that the step 903 isnot initiated by just any communication traffic.

In a first alternative, the third step 903 is applied if the trafficcomprises a signal recognized as a control command, sent by a controlmeans.

In a second alternative, the third step 903 is applied if the trafficcomprises a signal recognized as being feedback sent by an actuator whena command has been executed.

In a third alternative, the thirst step 903 is applied if the trafficcomprises one or other of the preceding signals but addressed to aspecific actuator, the one currently selected on the control screen.

Preferentially, the user is informed of the relevance of the currentstatus of the equipment icons. For example, if an update returns with adelay greater than a predetermined duration threshold, adjustableaccording to the equipment items, then the equipment icon appears dimmedto indicate that there is a doubt. Similarly, information concerning theschedule of the last update can be displayed.

Generally, the method enables a control device 100 possibly using theoperating method according to the invention or the learning methodaccording to the invention and communicating over a home automationnetwork with actuators 11, 21, 23, 25, 31, 33, 41, 51 to scan the statusof a home automation installation. It comprises a request step 902, 903addressed to the actuators for the actuators to reply with informationon their status, a step 901 for detecting communication traffic over thehome automation network, the request step is early 903 when the resultof the detection step 901 is positive.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A control device for controlling homeautomation equipment of a building, comprising a display screen, inwhich a first portion of the screen is assigned to the display of typeicons, a type icon representing a set of home automation equipment ofone and the same type, this first portion also being assigned to thedisplay of location icons, a location icon representing a set of homeautomation equipment installed in one and the same place in the buildingsuch as a room or a group of rooms, wherein an equipment icon can beassociated with a type icon and one or more location icons; and whereinthe control device comprises a first selection or navigation meansmaking it possible to position, in a reduced area of the screen, eithera selected type icon or location icon, so as to automatically display ina second portion of the screen equipment icons representative of thehome automation equipment assigned to said selected type icon orlocation icon.
 2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein thedisplay screen is also a control screen, for example of touch type, thefirst navigation means being able to recognize a movement of the fingerand the first selection means being able to recognize a contact by thefinger.
 3. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the iconsare arranged on the screen along an open line such as, for example, asegment or an arc of a circle.
 4. The control device according to claim1, wherein the icons are arranged on the screen by spatially groupingthe type icons and by spatially grouping the location icons.
 5. Thecontrol device according to claim 1, wherein a default location icon(ILOC0) separates the type icons from the other location icons.
 6. Thecontrol device according to claim 5, wherein either all the equipmentitems are assigned to the default location icon, or only the equipmentitems not assigned to another location icon are assigned to the defaultlocation icon.
 7. The control device according to claim 1, wherein anaction on the first navigation means or an action on the first selectionmeans results in the movement of a set of icons, in particular amovement of the set of type and location icons.
 8. The control deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein an action on the first navigation means oran action on the first selection means results in the displacement of aselection index and/or the displacement of the reduced area.
 9. Thecontrol device according to claim 1, wherein an action on the firstnavigation means or an action on the first selection means results in anappearance and/or a disappearance of an icon.
 10. The control deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein the second screen portion comprises asecond navigation means and a second selection means acting on theequipment icons.
 11. The control device according to claim 1, whereinthe selection of an equipment icon results in the opening of a controlwindow for that equipment item.
 12. The control device according toclaim 1, wherein an equipment icon is representative of the status ofthe equipment.
 13. The control device according to claim 12, wherein thecontrol device comprises means for sending a request addressed to theequipment for the equipment to reply with information on their statusand means for detecting the transmission of control commands or controlcommand execution information, means for sending a request beingactivated early when the detection means detects a transmission of acontrol command or of control command execution information.
 14. Thecontrol device according to claim 1, wherein the control devicecomprises a means of automatic assignnment of an equipment item to anequipment type.
 15. A control device for controlling home automationequipment of a building, comprising a display screen in which a firstportion of the screen is assigned to the display of type icons, a typeicon representing a set of home automation equipment of one and the sametype, wherein the control device comprises means for automaticallycreating and displaying new type icons as new equipment belonging to anew type is recognized in the installation.
 16. The control deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein the reduced area of the screen is part ofthe first portion of the display.